The Marie Keating Foundation was set up by the Keating family after their mother, Marie, passed away from cancer in 1998.

If you are celebrating Mother’s Day with your mum, please give her a special hug and tell her to be proactive about her health.

If you are a mother yourself, remember to be proactive about your own health so that you are around for many more Mother’s Days to come.

Below are some simple, actionable things that you can start doing today to look after your own health and reduce your risk of cancer.

If you would like to celebrate Mother’s Day by making a donation to the Marie Keating Foundation, we would very much appreciate it. Please click below- every cent helps!

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Tips for keeping you and your mum healthy

1. Scale down
A landmark study by the World Cancer Research Fund found “convincing evidence” that being overweight is a cause of six different types of cancer, including colon and breast cancer. The review found that gaining weight can also boost your risk, even if you are within a healthy weight range (BMI 20-25).

2. Get moving
Exercise is not just about managing your weight. It can also help reduce your risk of cancer. What’s more, should you get cancer, if you are fit, you are much better placed to fight the disease.

3. Butt out
Smoking is the single biggest cause of ill-health and death in Ireland. Aside from lung cancer, smoking can raise your risk of oral cancers, as well as kidney cancer, pancreatic cancer and more. If you smoke, stop now. Help is available from the HSE QUIT service- Freephone 1800 201 203.

4. Don’t go against the grain
Two or more servings of wholegrain, which you can get from breads, cereals and pastas, could cut your risk of developing pancreatic cancer by 40%. In pre-menopausal women, fiber in wholegrain cereals could cut the risk of developing breast cancer in half.

5. Trim the Fat
The more fat you eat, the greater your risk of developing pancreatic cancer. Limit fat to 20-35% of your calorie intake.

6. Don’t scrimp on sunscreen
Most people already know that sun exposure increases your risk of skin cancer but do not know how much sunscreen to put on. When in the sun, you should wear the equivalent of two tablespoons worth to cover your body and a teaspoon’s worth for your face. Always reapply after swimming and do not go out in the midday sun. Never use sun beds.

7. Arm yourself with nature’s anti-cancer arsenal
Fruits and vegetables contain phytochemicals and antioxidants which research suggests help to protect you against cancer. Different foods offer different protective benefits, so be sure to eat a variety of different colours. Broccoli and kale may reduce the risk of colon cancer, while tomatoes can help to protect you against cancers of the stomach and pancreas.

8. Be the designated driver
Besides the fact that being the designated driver will make your weekends more affordable, evidence suggests drinking increases your risk of cancers in the bowel, esophagus and liver. Alcohol is also linked with an increase breast cancer risk for women taking hormone replacement therapy (HRT) or with a family history of the disease.

9. Be on the lookout
Cancers such as breast cancer and skin cancer sometimes have symptoms that you can see and feel. Get to know your body so that you know what is normal for you. If something changes, go to your GP to get it checked out. It may be nothing, but your GP can tell you for sure.

10. Say “yes” to the test
If you are invited to participate in screening programmes such as BreastCheck, CervicalCheck or BowelScreen, say “yes.” These are government-funded programmes designed to keep you healthy. They usually involve quick, often painless health checks that will see if you have abnormal cell growth and, if so, will mean doctors will catch any problems at any early stage when they are easy to solve.